High Court Grants Website Blocking Injunction in Relation to Sports Streaming and Reconsiders Confidentiality of Such Orders

DOI10.1093/jiplp/jpab034
Date14 February 2021
Pages199-201
Year2021
Published ByOxford University Press

Case No: IL-2018–000155 Matchroom Boxing Ltd and another v British Telecommunications plc and others [2020] EWHC 2868 (Ch), 23 October 2020

The High Court of England and Wales granted Matchroom Boxing an additional website blocking injunction in relation to the unauthorized streaming of its upcoming boxing matches. Whilst this follows a series of other recent website blocking injunctions in relation to sports, the judge provided further input on whether such an order could be made wholly confidential.

Legal context and facts

Matchroom Boxing Ltd (‘Matchroom Boxing’) is a promoter of boxing matches. As a result of a surge in unauthorized copyright streaming activities, Matchroom Boxing had previously sought a website blocking injunction against the six main retail internet service providers (ISPs) in the UK, pursuant to section 97A of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. The purpose was to require the ISPs to take measures to block access to streaming servers, which deliver infringing live streams of Sky Sports’ broadcasts of the boxing matches.

On 20 September 2018, Arnold J (as he then was) granted a website blocking injunction in favour of Matchroom Boxing (the ‘Initial Order’). In doing so, Arnold J referred to the order that he had granted in favour of the Football Association Premier League Limited (FAPL) in connection with FAPL v British Telecommunications plc [No 1] [2017] EWHC 480 (Ch), which concerned the streaming of Premier League football matches (the ‘2017 FAPL Order’). The Initial Order was subsequently extended and varied by a further order on 22 May 2019 (the ‘May 2019 Order’), which contained a ‘sunset clause’, whereby it was to cease to have effect from 1 October 2020. Matchroom Boxing had two boxing events scheduled shortly after the period specified in the sunset clause of the May 2019 Order. As a result, on 28 September 2020, it applied for a further extension and variation of the May...

Get this document and AI-powered insights with a free trial of vLex and Vincent AI

Get Started for Free

Start Your Free Trial of vLex and Vincent AI, Your Precision-Engineered Legal Assistant

  • Access comprehensive legal content with no limitations across vLex's unparalleled global legal database

  • Build stronger arguments with verified citations and CERT citator that tracks case history and precedential strength

  • Transform your legal research from hours to minutes with Vincent AI's intelligent search and analysis capabilities

  • Elevate your practice by focusing your expertise where it matters most while Vincent handles the heavy lifting

vLex

Start Your Free Trial of vLex and Vincent AI, Your Precision-Engineered Legal Assistant

  • Access comprehensive legal content with no limitations across vLex's unparalleled global legal database

  • Build stronger arguments with verified citations and CERT citator that tracks case history and precedential strength

  • Transform your legal research from hours to minutes with Vincent AI's intelligent search and analysis capabilities

  • Elevate your practice by focusing your expertise where it matters most while Vincent handles the heavy lifting

vLex

Start Your Free Trial of vLex and Vincent AI, Your Precision-Engineered Legal Assistant

  • Access comprehensive legal content with no limitations across vLex's unparalleled global legal database

  • Build stronger arguments with verified citations and CERT citator that tracks case history and precedential strength

  • Transform your legal research from hours to minutes with Vincent AI's intelligent search and analysis capabilities

  • Elevate your practice by focusing your expertise where it matters most while Vincent handles the heavy lifting

vLex

Start Your Free Trial of vLex and Vincent AI, Your Precision-Engineered Legal Assistant

  • Access comprehensive legal content with no limitations across vLex's unparalleled global legal database

  • Build stronger arguments with verified citations and CERT citator that tracks case history and precedential strength

  • Transform your legal research from hours to minutes with Vincent AI's intelligent search and analysis capabilities

  • Elevate your practice by focusing your expertise where it matters most while Vincent handles the heavy lifting

vLex

Start Your Free Trial of vLex and Vincent AI, Your Precision-Engineered Legal Assistant

  • Access comprehensive legal content with no limitations across vLex's unparalleled global legal database

  • Build stronger arguments with verified citations and CERT citator that tracks case history and precedential strength

  • Transform your legal research from hours to minutes with Vincent AI's intelligent search and analysis capabilities

  • Elevate your practice by focusing your expertise where it matters most while Vincent handles the heavy lifting

vLex

Start Your Free Trial of vLex and Vincent AI, Your Precision-Engineered Legal Assistant

  • Access comprehensive legal content with no limitations across vLex's unparalleled global legal database

  • Build stronger arguments with verified citations and CERT citator that tracks case history and precedential strength

  • Transform your legal research from hours to minutes with Vincent AI's intelligent search and analysis capabilities

  • Elevate your practice by focusing your expertise where it matters most while Vincent handles the heavy lifting

vLex